Flights of fancy at the World Bird Sanctuary

Monroe St. Press' last big event of 2016 was a steampunk-themed gathering Nov. 12 at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Mo., about 25 miles west of St. Louis. 

This event, organized by Steampunk St. Louis, featured an "All About Owls" program, live entertainment, and about a dozen vendors offering steampunk-oriented items. 

A frosty but clear morning with fall colors still lingering provided a great environment for visitors to hike the site's trails, sample hot drinks and other refreshments, and show off their steampunk attire and other gear. 

Several science fiction titles, our futuristic anthology Unto This Last, and historical novels by the American Winston Churchill (a St. Louis native) attracted the greatest interest. 

Aimee, from Eureka, Mo., picked up a copy of The Great Stone of Sardis by Frank Stockton to read as part of a reading challenge at her school. This tale of an eccentric scientist's expedition to the Earth's core was written in 1897 and set in the far flung future of 1947. 

Gordon and DeAnn from Maryland Heights, Mo. obtained copies of two Churchill novels — Richard Carvel, a sea adventure set in the Colonial era, and The Crossing, which recounts the conquest of the Illinois country — along with Unto This Last, an anthology of Victorian and Edwardian visions of the future. Many of these stories take place in the 21st century and some were surprisingly prescient. 

As 2016 comes to a close, Monroe St. Press thanks everyone who visited our displays, our website and our Facebook page this year. We enjoy providing you with some of the hidden gems of a fascinating literary era and look forward to adding more titles. 

Happy Holidays and a blessed New Year 2017 to all!